We rædað on ðære béc þe is geháten Actus Apostolorum, þǽt ða apostolas gehádodon seofon diaconas on ðære gelaðunge þe of Iudeiscum folce to Cristes geleafan beah, æfter his ðrowunge, and ǽriste of deaðe, and upstige to heofenum. Þæra diacona wæs se forma STEPHANUS, þe we on ðisum dæge wurðiað. He wæs swiðe geleafful, and mid þam Halgum Gaste afylled. Þa oðre six wæron gecigede ðisum namum: Stephanus wæs se fyrmesta, oðer Philippus, þridda Procorus, feorða Nicanor, fifta Timotheus, sixta Parmenen, seofoða Nicolaus. Ðas seofon hí gecuron and gesetton on ðæra apostola gesihðe, and hi ða mid gebedum and bletsungum to diaconum gehadode wurdon. Weox ða dæghwonlice Godes bodung, and wæs gemenigfylld þæt getel cristenra manna þearle on Hierusalem. Þa wearð se eadiga Stephanus mid Godes gife, and mid micelre strencðe afylled, and worhte forebeacena and micele tácna on ðam folce. Ða astodon sume ða ungeleaffullan Iudei, and woldon mid heora gedwylde þæs eadigan martyres láre oferswiðan; ac hi ne mihton his wisdome wiðstandan, ne ðam Halgum Gaste, ðe ðurh hine spræc. Þa setton hí lease gewitan, ðe hine forlugon, and cwædon, þæt hé tállice word spræce be Moyse and be Gode. Þæt folc wearð ða micclum astyred, and þa heafod-menn, and þa Iudeiscan boceras, and gelæhton Stephanum, and tugon to heora geþeahte; and ða leasan gewitan him on {46} besædon, "Ne geswicð ðes man to sprecenne tallice word ongean þas halgan stowe and Godes ǽ. We gehyrdon hine secgan þæt Crist towyrpð þas stowe, and towent ða gesetnysse ðe ús Moyses tæhte." Þa beheoldon ða hine ðe on þam geðeahte sæton, and gesawon his nebwlite swylce sumes engles ansyne. Ða cwæð se ealdor-biscop to ðam eadigan cyðere, "Is hit swa hí secgað?" Ða wolde se halga wer Stephanus heora ungeleaffullan heortan gerihtlæcan mid heora forðfædera gebysnunge and gemynde, and to soðfæstnysse wege mid ealre lufe gebigan. Begann ða him to reccenne be ðam heahfædere Abrahame, hu se heofenlica God hine geceas him to geþoftan, and him behet, þæt ealle ðeoda on his ofspringe gebletsode wurdon, for his gehyrsumnesse. Swa eac ðæra oðra heahfædera gemynd, mid langsumere race, ætforan him geniwode; and hu Moyses, ðurh Godes mihte, heora foregengan ofer ða Readan Sæ wundorlice gelædde, and hú hí siððan feowertig geara on westene wæron, mid heofenlicum bigleofan dæghwonlice gereordode; and hu God hí lædde to ðam Iudeiscan earde, and ða hæðenan ðeoda ætforan heora gesihðum eallunga adwæscte; and be Dauides mærðe, þæs mæran cyninges, and Salomones wuldre, ðe Gode þæt mære tempel arærde. Cwæð þa æt nextan, "Ge wiðstandað þam Halgum Gaste mid stiðum swuran, and ungeleaffulre heortan; ge sind meldan and manslagan, and ge ðone rihtwisan Crist niðfullice acwealdon; ge underfengon ǽ on engla gesetnysse, and ge hit ne heoldon." Hwæt ða Iudeiscan þa wurdon þearle on heora heortan astyrode, and biton heora teð him togeanes. Se halga Stephanus wearð þa afylled mid þam Halgum Gaste, and beheold wið heofonas weard, and geseah